Bagby

Bagby is a ghost town in Mariposa County, California, situated along the Merced River. Its story stretches back to around 1850, when the location first functioned as a river ferry crossing. By 1859 it had evolved into a stamp mill and mining depot tied to John C. Frémont's Mariposa Grant, and later became a stop on the Yosemite Valley Railroad, which operated through the area from 1907 until 1945.

The townsite no longer exists above ground. When the New Exchequer Dam was completed and Lake McClure was expanded in 1967, the entire site was submerged beneath the reservoir. Visitors today will find no structures, streets, or surface remnants of the original settlement.

The draw for modern visitors is the lake itself and its shoreline rather than any ghost-town remains. Sightseeing, photography, and water-based recreation around Lake McClure are the realistic options. Anyone hoping to see historic fabric from Bagby's mining or railroad era should know that it lies permanently underwater.